The Peace River School Division and the Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools have announced a joint effort to provide a solution to support the St. Thomas More Catholic School community.
According to the school divisions, at the March 14th meeting of the PRSD Board of Trustees, a motion was approved to grant the GPCSD permission to build a temporary modular school building on E.E. Oliver Elementary School property in Fairview.
The PRSD says as the landowner, administration must approve the physical location of the temporary facility, and that a joint-use committee be formed to oversee the development of the project.
PRSD Board Chair Crystal Owens says the decision comes from a place of support for students in Fairview.
“We are looking to support all students,” she says. “We want to support Fairview as a community.”
The Town of Fairview has also played a significant role in the discussion, meeting with the school divisions and discussing the practicality of a temporary modular school building on an existing school property in Fairview, and through those discussions, the decision was made to put the temporary building on the selected property due to its existing underground water and sewer infrastructure.
The school divisions say the project is a top priority this year as the facility “must be completed” in time for the 2024-25 school year.
Additionally, both the PRSD and GPCSD say the ultimate goal of building a new joint K kindergarten to grade nine school in Fairview remains and should be completed within “the next five to ten years.”